The present invention relates to automatic fabric washing machines and, more particularly to an improved system for damping the movement of the moving system of the machine. Modern clothes or fabric washing machines have a moving system, normally including a tub to hold water and a basket within the tub to hold the fabrics to be washed, along with the drive motor and a transmission. The moving system is supported from a stationary support structure, normally the housing of the machine. The moving system needs to have some degree of movement relative to the support structure to permit the system to respond to forces generated during the agitation and spin operations of the machine. At the same time it is necessary to damp the motion, particularly during spin to prevent excess travel of the moving system. Numerous different systems have been used to damp this motion, including a number of systems incorporating rod and piston arrangements. It is very desirable that the force between the piston and its surrounding cylinder wall remain generally constant through the life of the machine so that the damping system will continue to perform properly as the machine ages. At the same time it is necessary that the damping system be easily constructed and be made of relatively inexpensive components.
An object of this invention is to provide an automatic fabric washing machine including an improved system for damping movement of the moving system relative to the stationary structure.
Another object is to provide such an improved system in which the suspension units maintain their damping action as the machine ages.
Yet another object is to provide such an improved system incorporating cylinder and piston units incorporating improved means for prevent the piston from taking a compression set relative to the side wall of the cylinder.